Six Nations:Jamie Heaslip is a fun gambler. Odds, cards and stakes are reference points that pepper his conversation.

What did you do last week, Jamie? "Wednesday to Sunday?" Yeh, did you get up to anything? "No, my highlight of the week was playing cards. That was about it. I got up to nothing else."

Did you go to the Leinster match Saturday, Jamie? "I did yes. It was freezing down there. It was good, but it didn't start too good. We gave ourselves a minus-14 handicap. I'm sure a couple of people put down bets, won some money there."

Heaslip is a disarming individual and although the tongue stud is not so obvious these days at media events the match against France nine days ago in Paris would have done much for his shrugging, easily-worn confidence. Heaslip won't declare anything so riotous as expecting to be picked against Scotland but if clever odds are available (are they ever?), he might just be tempted to dabble on playing at number eight on Saturday.

"I haven't watched the video yet. We had a bit of time off last week and we've just been concentrating on correcting our mistakes from the last game so I haven't looked at anything yet," he says.

But he must have been satisfied with his own contribution? "Yes, I was to a certain extent but we still lost the game. That was the downside of it all. We set ourselves a bit of a handicap, I felt, at the start. It was good that we came back, put up a fight and nearly won the game. But on the day we didn't. It's one of those points that are essential, especially in this competition where it is so tight between the teams."

Scotland will set a whole new series of demands and if Ireland have not had enough swinging expectations, from favourites against Italy to underdogs against France, this week, like it or not, they must get their heads around the favourites' tag again.

No doubt there are snipers in the wings looking for Eddie O'Sullivan to fail. But Heaslip has been one of those players who generated a clamour when he was originally left out. There is a sense that Heaslip is on a learning curve but one he is managing with aplomb.

So, too, is the Scottish backrow seen as one of the areas likely to ask a few questions of the Ireland players. In the players' eyes, how the team lost last week was not tactical. "Maybe just a couple of defensive errors," he says. "I think our tactics were sound. I think we proved that at the end of the game. I just think we made a couple or errors and that was it. That's all it takes.

"Not even errors, really. A couple of times they were just scoring by being smart about the quick turnover ball, chip to the corner and Clerc just burns on to the ball. They got a bit of luck, a bounce of the ball. A mix of all things, really. But in total we were happy with the performance but not happy that we lost."

Scotland will not have the quality of runners France dished up ten days ago and come to Croke Park with two defeats behind them. Coach Frank Hadden is under as much pressure as O'Sullivan and he will convey that to the players. Remember, France are the only team to have won at Croke Park.

"It's a very forward-driven game, yet wide," says Heaslip of the Scots.

"They've got some really hard ball-carriers . . . do some great work around the ruck and that. They've got some really fast backs. We are going to have our job cut out marking them.

"Scotland are a strong side and their teams in the Magners League are playing well. We have to show them the utmost respect and get our game right."

The irritating question he has faced from friends and family is whether he thinks he will be picked again. We let that one slide. "Every time someone asks will you be picked for the Scotland game . . . (I say) well you can hold off because I'll find out on Tuesday. I won't have a clue until tomorrow morning and that's the same for a lot of guys."

The odds on his selection are getting shorter by the minute.